Taunton High School students spring into Earth Day by cleaning up campus

Friday

Apr 6, 2012 at 12:01 AMApr 6, 2012 at 6:01 AM

Spring cleaning was in the air at Taunton High School on Thursday.

About 20 Air Force Junior ROTC cadets and other Taunton High students participated in the ROTC’s 12th annual Earth Day activities.

Christopher Nichols

Spring cleaning was in the air at Taunton High School on Thursday.

About 20 Air Force Junior ROTC cadets and other Taunton High students participated in the ROTC’s 12th annual Earth Day activities.

“This is the annual Earth Day at Taunton High School with the Junior ROTC sponsorship,” said Col. Rich Davenport, Director of Taunton High’s AFJROTC. “The goal is to help out with a little spring cleanup.”

Students, along with Davenport and Master Sgt. Dave LaPlant, picked up trash at the baseball fields, tennis courts, football field, cross-country track and other areas of the campus.

Students also scraped the old paint off the football field’s ticket booth and press box. Cadets will repaint the two buildings in a few weeks.

“It’s a service project,” Davenport explained. “It’s a win-win kind of thing. One, it’s a win because the kids get to participate in making the school overall look better, and the school wins because it looks better.”

Davenport also noted that Mozzone Lumber donated the equipment used to scrape the ticket booth and press box.

For that project, Davenport had to get approval from Athletic Director Mark Ottavianelli — who was happy to give his approval.

“Every year with Earth Day, Col. Davenport and all the kids do a lot of things around the school. They have been very helpful, especially in the world of athletics,” Ottavianelli said. “This year, they wanted to work on the press box and ticket booth.”

Ottavianelli added that he’s grateful for all the work that the JROTC and all the school’s organizations do to help out.

“We’re fortunate here that there’s a great relationship with all the different groups in school… There’s a lot of good things happening here, and we’re very, very thankful and grateful for that cooperation,” Ottavianelli said.

Many of the students that participated were happy to lend a hand.

“We go to Taunton High School, and we want to keep it looking good,” said Joe Morton, 17, a junior and ROTC cadet.